Gold Mexican Libertads

The Canadian Maple Leaf and American Eagle are dominant coins in the world marketplace, but the Mexican Libertad is gaining notoriety around the globe and attracting the attention of investors and collectors everywhere. Available in recent years in a gold version, the official bullion coin of Mexico is popular for its beautiful design and reputation for purity. The Gold Mexican Libertad is available at this time on Silver.com.

Tracing the History of the Gold Mexican Libertad

Although the Gold Mexican Libertad was first struck in 1981, its history is rooted in the centennial celebration of Mexico’s independence that took place 60 years earlier. In 1921, the nation of Mexico embarked on a nationwide celebration of its independence from Spain, an effort that started with the War of Independence in 1821.

Among the themes of the celebration was the revival of symbols of the independence movement and the embracing of historic Aztec symbols. In the center of Mexico City, a statue of the angel of independence was erected as part of the celebration. Known as Winged Victory, her statue was adopted as the official symbol of Mexico City and featured as obverse design on the gold Centenario coin.

An additional image of the twin volcanic peaks of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl were used on the coin, as well. The peaks are named after a pair of ancient Aztec lovers who met a tragic end. The reverse side of the original gold Centenario coin featured the coat of arms for the nation of Mexico. A gold eagle is the official emblem of Mexico, and is featured in the coat of arms locked in battle with a rattlesnake. The phrase “Estados Unidos Mexicanos” is engraved above, with a wreath encircling the seal below.

That gold Centenario coin was struck with a face value of 50 pesos, but was not considered legal tender as a purely commemorative coin. It was produced by the Mexican Mint on an annual basis from 1921 to 1947. Beginning in 1949, and running through 1972, reproductions of this coin were struck with a 1947 mint mark.

Modern Gold Mexican Libertad

The gold Centenario served as the design inspiration for the nation’s official gold bullion coin, the Gold Mexican Libertad. Although its silver counterpart was introduced in 1982 and struck on a regular basis, the Gold Libertad did not enjoy the same regularity in mintage in its early years. The first Gold Mexican Libertad was introduced in 1981 for a one-year production run in 1 oz, ½ oz, and ¼ oz coins. Although nearly 1 million coins were struck in total that year, it would be another decade before regular minting took place. In 1991, the Gold Mexican Libertad was reintroduced, with a 1/20 oz and 1/10 oz coin joining the original three weights. Production ran through 1994, with another hiatus taking place from 1995 to 1999.

In 2000, the Gold Mexican Libertad reappeared for good. The coin has been struck every year in the 21st century, with the exception of 2001 and 2012, in all five weights. Mintage is limited each year to a set amount of coins and is not determined by demand in the marketplace for the coins. The Mexican Mint also strikes the Gold Mexican Libertad in a proof version.

The proof Gold Mexican Libertad was first introduced in 1989 in a ½ oz weight, but was a one-time striking. The proof version was struck again in 2004 in a ¼ oz, before being introduced in all five weights in 2005. Since that year, the Mexican Mint has produced an extremely limited number of Gold Mexican Libertads in proof. For example, in 2014 production across all five weights was just 1,350 coins.

Design of the Gold Mexican Libertad

As the Centenario was the inspiration for the Gold Mexican Libertad, it should come as no surprise that its predecessor would serve as the basis for the original design of the modern Gold Mexican Libertad. On the obverse side of the coin, Winged Victory was featured in front-facing relief on the coin. In her right hand, she held aloft a wreath symbolizing freedom, and the broken chains of Spanish colonialism were held in her right hand.

The mountains of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl were featured in the background, with the coin’s face value (now in Onzas) on the left, the metal content and mint mark on the right, and the year of minting and purity on the bottom. The reverse featured the original Mexican coat of arms.

Modern Gold Mexican Libertad coins feature a revitalized image of the statue of the angel of independence. She is now featured in a left-profile relief and standing atop a column, similar to the statue in Mexico City. She still holds a wreath in her right hand, broken chains in her left, and is featured in front of the twin volcanic peaks.

Engravings on this side have been altered slightly, with the face value, metal content, year of minting, and purity featured above, and the mint mark on the right. The reverse side now features the modern version of the coat of arms in the center, with 10 historic versions of the seal surrounding the image.

Certified Gold Mexican Libertad Coins

Silver.com offers a variety of Gold Mexican Libertad coins for sale that have been certified by the world’s two largest and most respected grading services: the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and Professional Coin Grading Service. In order to familiarize yourself with terms used in grading, brief explanations have been included below:

MS70: Stands for Mint State 70, and indicates a coin in perfect condition. MS70 coins have their full, original luster, and no detracting flaws.

MS69: Stands for Mint State 69 and indicates a coin in near-perfect condition. MS69 coins have their full, original luster, but may also have a maximum of two minor detracting flaws, contact marks, or blemishes.

Payment Methods, Shipping, and Insurance through Silver.com

All Silver.com products are shipped in discreet packaging to ensure the security of your investment. Your order is fulfilled and shipped once your payment has processed using one of the following payment methods:

PayPal: Swift processing, often on the same day

Bank wires: Process on the same day in most cases, eligible for 4% discount on purchase price.

Credit/Debit cards: Process in one or two business days on average.

Paper checks: Process in 4 to 6 business days, eligible for 4% discount on purchase price.

Silver.com offers an affordable, tiered shipping payment plan via the US Postal Service and UPS. For all orders in excess of $3,000, shipping and insurance on packages is free. In the event that your package is lost or arrives damaged, Silver.com will initiate compensation claims with the carrier. If replacement products cannot be located, we’ll initiate a claim to secure a refund of your purchase price.

If you have any questions about Gold Mexican Libertads, don’t hesitate to reach out to a Silver.com associate. We’re available at 888-989-7223, online using our live web chat, or via email.